Here Comes The Bride
by J Elise
Summary: The Leverage team reunites for one final job: Elliot's wedding.
1. Deep Inside of You

**Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage, TNT and Dean Devlin do. So don't sue.**

 **Part One: Everything But The Girl - I Miss You  
**

 **Part Two: Third Eye Blind - Deep Inside of You**

 **Part Three: X Ambassadors - Unsteady**

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

 **Part One: I Miss You (Like The Deserts Miss The Rain)**

Parker walked into the new and improved Leverage Headquarters – still located above McRory's Pub. She hadn't been there in years, yet it all still looked very much the same - right down to the faded red bricks and bright yellow lettering on the door.

They were all there waiting on her: the people she had once called family. However, unlike the families of her dreams, this one had grown up and gotten bigger. Pushing her off to the sidelines.

Leaving them behind had been the hardest thing she had ever done _._ But the team had undergone so many changes that fleeing seemed the only course of action. Strange as it seemed, it all came down to babies. Babies ruined everything. As soon as Nate knocked up Sophie, everything went from bad to worse. Hardison developed baby fever. Tara got hired back as the team's grifter. Eliot was grumpier than ever. And Sophie, the only person who could have talked her through it, was busy playing nursemaid to her newborn.

Nate still ran the cons, while looking after his very pregnant wife. Unable to do two things at once, though, he gave more responsibility to Hardison, who of course let it all go to his head. So not only did Hardison help plan the cons, he started planning their future as well. The future that he wanted.

Ironically, Parker was the one woman who had never thought about having kids, and she couldn't very well tell Hardison something he didn't want to hear. Trying to get him to listen to her was impossible. It was one of the many reasons they had eventually broken up.

It wasn't entirely her fault either. No matter what her conscience said. Tara was the one doling out relationship advice to her wannabe boyfriend, giving him ideas about planning their hypothetical wedding. Had Parker not been crawling around in Nate's vents during that conversation, she would never have seen it coming. But come it did. With a vengeance.

Hardison started talking marriage and she'd lost it. They stayed up for hours trying to hash out their relationship, and eventually it came down to the fact that they just wanted different things. Parker couldn't say she was surprised that things ended the way they had. She just didn't feel that spark anymore (the one Sophie said was so important).

She was happy not knowing her future. She liked to take insane risks without considering who or what she might leave behind. Hardison was just the opposite. So when they decided that whatever they had wasn't going to work, he was compelled to try and put a healthy distance between them. It wasn't so much that he was mad or hurt – not as much as she'd thought he'd be. But as Eliot had explained to her, break ups had limitations and boundaries and Parker had never been good with that sort of thing. So, it was up to Hardison to set the example.

Eventually he started gravitating towards Tara in a way Parker couldn't with compete with. As soon as he started dating other people, Parker did her level best to ignore it. It's not like she hadn't gotten caught staring at Eliot more times than she'd care to admit; and, while she tried to tell herself it was just a healthy curiosity, deep down that funny feeling got her every time.

Eliot wasn't the type to get serious with though, and that came as a relief to her. He was just so used to being a soldier, so unsure of making it home after a job, that it was just easier to be the playboy. Eliot, for his part, respected Parker on and off the field. But it seemed to be for occupational reasons only. He appreciated having someone on his level to train with.

Here again, Parker was no Tara. She wasn't the one who met all Eliot's potential girlfriends. She wasn't the one who went shopping with them…or drank with them… or compared notes... The most Parker could say she shared with any of these bimbos was her natural hair color.

So it was, in the blink of an eye, Parker found herself being replaced. It wasn't Hardison, Eliot, and Parker anymore. No. It was Tara, Hardison, and Eliot respectively. There was no room left for her.

It was then she started wondering if they might be better off without her. She knew how much Hardison would miss her. And how hard Eliot would take it. Not to mention Nate, who would have a hard time replacing her. But despite everything that had happened, it was her last night with Eliot that sealed her fate. It was the one night she had never been able to get out of her head no matter how hard she tried. And the one that ensured she could never go back home again.

* * *

 **Part Two: Deep Inside of You**

 _ **One Year Ago**_

 _Parker hung outside Eliot's window, unsure of whether to go in. Tara was out on the town with Sophie, which left her current mode of company unavailable. Going to Nate's was out of the question. He'd get all moody, and huffy, and drunk. For some reason, he never could seem to talk to her without nursing some kind of alcohol._

 _Hardison, on the other hand was entertaining a date. From what she'd been told (by both Nate and Sophie), she needed to respect his space. Now it looked like she was about to get the same lecture from Eliot._

 _From her vantage point, she could see him gesticulating wildly, arguing with some guy in a cowboy hat. Or girl. Who could tell these days? Of course, Eliot had never seemed like the gay type to her. Hardison maybe, but…Oh wait. Maybe the woman just had short hair. In fact, she looked an awful lot like –_

 _SLAM!_

 _Oo, that had to hurt._

 _The banging door caught them both off guard. Eliot winced as Parker swore, momentarily losing her balance. Her forehead tapped lightly against the window, just loud enough to be heard by the hitter. It must have been a 'very distinctive tap' because the next thing she knew, the window was being thrown up and she was being dragged inside. Her ears rang as Eliot began to rip her a new one for eavesdropping._

 _Having the decency to look at least a little ashamed of herself, she waited for Eliot to run out of steam. She had to wait a_ _ **really**_ _long time, but it finally paid off. Eliot's tirade died down as her cheeks burned over the embarrassment of being caught red handed. It was then that Parker realized the girl who had left had been Aimee. Eliot wouldn't have gotten this upset for just any one-night stand._

" _Dammit Parker! This isn't some peep show! You can't just spy on people whenever you feel like it! Didn't Sophie have this talk with you already?"_

" _I didn't mean to! I just –"_

" _You just what?" He hadn't bothered to find out why she was there, but it was right up there on his list of things to do before he died (or killed her…whichever came first)._

" _I needed someone to talk to. You were the only one home."_

" _What about Hardison huh?"_

" _He's out on a date."_

" _Sophie? Tara?"_

" _Out drinking."_

" _Nate? Okay I get why not Nate…but how 'bout what's her face that you go to coffee with?"_

" _Peggy? This isn't exactly something you'd talk about over tea. Look I'll just go. Sorry to ruin your date." Parker spat, not in the least bit sorry._

" _Get back here Parker! You don't get to play Harriet the Spy and then bail." Placing his hands on her shoulders, he curbed his temper and spoke slowly through his teeth. "Let's try this again. Why. Are. You. Here?"_

" _I had a freakin' nightmare, ok?" She blurted out._

" _A nightmare? Seriously? Don't tell me you're still afraid of the bogeyman? If I told you once, I told you a thousand times he ain't real. And neither is the Easter Bunny. Or Santa Clause. Or Leprechauns!"_

 _Parker's eyebrows scrunched together. "That's just what they want you to think."_

" _What?" Eliot blinked in disbelief._

" _What?" Parker answered back innocently._

 _Eliot pinched the bridge of his nose, warding off a migraine._ _He really didn't get her sometimes._

" _So you had a nightmare?"_

" _I don't want to talk about it anymore. Can I sleep in your closet?"_

" _My closet?" He repeated blankly. Now he'd heard everything._

" _Yeah. I don't want to be any trouble."_

" _A little late for that, don't ya think?"_

" _Very funny. I'll just go."_

 _In less than a second, Eliot's hand was on her arm._ _"Forget it! You're stayin' put where I can keep an eye on ya. An' you're sleeping in a bed like a normal person."_

" _But…you only have one bed."_

 _Eliot almost chuckled at her bug eyed look. Almost. "Yeah, and? I'm takin' the couch Goldilocks."_

" _Whose Goldilocks?" The innocence in her tone cut through his patience._

" _You know…the fairy tale…with the bears…and the porridge...and the girl who didn't mind her own business…"_

" _Ooo! Story time!"_

 _Eliot rolled his eyes. "NO! NO STORIES! You came here to sleep."_

" _Whatever you say Sparky." Parker cheered, looking at him like_ _ **he**_ _was the crazy one._

 _Eliot took a few deep breaths in and out, then turned abruptly to get bedding for the couch. "Stay here." He commanded._

 _Parker was floored. She knew Eliot was a loose cannon, but she never expected he would contain himself enough to let her stay._

 _By the time he came back, Parker was snuggled under the covers on his bed, surrounded by his scent, feeling safe again. "Thank you Eliot."_

 _He stopped just long enough to sigh as he tucked her in. "Anytime Parker. Just do me a favor and use the front door next time."_

* * *

 **Part Three: Deep Inside of You**

 _The sound of whimpering awoke Eliot as he fumbled for his phone to see what time it was._ _ **3 o'clock in the morning. Hell.**_ _That girl was more trouble than she was worth. Getting up from the couch he made his way back to the bedroom. Eyes adjusting to the dim light, he had to walk halfway into the room before he noticed Parker splayed out all over the sheets and blankets. She was five seconds away from rolling off the bed and hitting her head._

 _With a sigh, Eliot eased himself down onto the mattress closest to her. He put a hand on her shoulder, and nearly lost it as she lunged upwards to attack. Quick as a flash, he pulled her into his arms and locked her against his chest before she did something stupid._

 _Like hit him._

" _Shhh Parker. It's only me. Eliot." He soothed, trying to calm her._

 _She struggled for a few seconds before her eyes snapped open and she realized where she was. The first thing she noticed were Eliot's arms clamped around her. One around her waist and the other tangled up in her hair, holding her face tight against him. Slowly he rocked her back and forth until she was fully awake._

 _To his surprise, Parker let loose with a sob and flung herself into him, burying her head to hide the tears._

" _Parker? You gotta talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."_

 _For awhile she didn't say anything. But just as Eliot was about to give up and let her try to go back to sleep, she managed to mumble: "It's that same dream. It's always the same dream."_

 _Now his curiosity was piqued. "What dream?"_

" _He always comes for me at night."_

" _Who comes? Tell me who so I can help you."_

" _My dad. My real dad." She mumbled._

 _Eliot frowned. Parker never talked about her past. Never. He was two seconds away from calling Hardison, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. She was trying so hard to respect his space that he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that. So he just held onto her, reminding her every now and then to breathe._

 _It wasn't the first time Eliot didn't know how to respond to Parker's antics. But he wanted to get to the bottom of what was making her so anxious. Maybe then she wouldn't come knocking on his window in the middle of the night. "How often have you had this dream?" He asked, after awhile._

 _Parker mumbled something incomprehensible and Eliot had to pull her away from him to hear her clearly. With his hands firmly on her shoulders, he looked her in the eye. "Say that again." He demanded._

 _After a few minutes of getting stared down, Parker finally complied. "Ever since our last job." She admitted._

 _Eliot tried not to get upset. "Parker, that was over two weeks ago. Why didn't you tell anyone?"_

" _Would you tell anyone if you got cornered by some pig in a track suit who tried to feel you up?"_

" _Well, no. But that's because I'd be too busy beating the crap out of him."_

" _I had my taser."_

" _Good. Cause I'm gonna pound the shit out of him if we ever run into him again."_

" _Look, it doesn't matter. He felt me up. He got tasered. End of story."_

" _Except now you have nightmares."_

" _Yeah. Every night this week. Why?"_

 _Eliot tried to be tactful, but acting as Parker's therapist was going above and beyond his job description. "Maybe you should talk to someone about them."_

" _I thought I was." Parker concluded in her own confused way._

" _I mean a professional." Eliot clarified._

" _Hardison used to help me out with this stuff. But since we're broken up I can't spend the night at his place anymore. So, I thought sleeping with someone else might help."_

" _You mean sleeping in someone else's closet…"_

" _Yeah. What'd you think I meant?"_

" _Never mind." Eliot parried, looked at her sideways until he was sure there was no double meaning. With Parker you could never tell. "Will you tell me what's so special about closets?"_

" _They're small. Lots of tight spaces. Easy to hide in."_

 _Against his better judgment, Eliot ventured a guess, delving deeper into her issues. "Is that how you got away? Hiding in closets?"_

" _How'd you know?" Parker asked, dumbfounded. She was shaking now. She couldn't help it._

" _Lucky guess." Eliot murmured as he pulled her back against him. Tears and snot stained his shirt, but he ignored it in favor of making sure his friend was okay._

" _How old were you?" Eliot asked, resting his head on top of hers._

 _Parker felt the rumble of his voice against her cheek and tried to ignore the warm squishy feeling in her stomach. "I don't know. Like 6 or 7…old enough to know better."_

 _Eliot's voice got dangerously low. He almost didn't want to ask. "What did he do?"_

 _Parker buried her face deeper into Eliot's shoulder, trying to make the memories go away. Squeezing her eyes shut, she debated on what and how much to tell him._

" _At first he bought me all this new stuff. Dolls…toys…a bike. Then he told me I had to pay him back."_

" _How?" Eliot kept his voice steady, even though he felt like hitting something. Or someone. Parker was finally opening up, and while he felt ill-equipped to deal with it, he couldn't bring himself to make her stop. He hung on her every word, vowing to make the bastard pay._

" _He started coming to my room every night. He made…" She broke off in a sob. "He made me go down on him. Always. Every time."_

" _Parker…" Words failed him. Fist fights he could handle. But responding to what she had just told him? No matter what he said, nothing would make it better. In place of words, he planted a kiss to her forehead and held her close while she tried to get her emotions under control._

" _You wanna know the reason I almost screwed up our last job? That jackass in a tracksuit just reminded me of what I'd been trying to forget. He's what made me get all stabby._

" _That's a good reason to get stabby sweetheart. And I swear to you if I ever meet your dad, I'll be the last thing he sees. He should never have done that to you."_

" _Thank you Eliot." Parker breathed. "But so you know, it's already been taken care of." Visions of her exploding childhood home occupied her mind, helping her breathe a little easier as she clutched tight to Bunny._

" _Do I even want to know?"_

" _Probably not."_

" _It's alright darlin'. I won't ask. And I'm sorry for yellin' at ya earlier. I was actin' like a jerk."_

" _S'okay. I'm used to it."_

 _Eliot smirked. "Gee thanks." Taking another look at Parker's face, he found himself growing serious again. Before he knew what he was doing, his fingers had found a stray lock of hair, and pushed it back from her face, before tucking it behind her ear. He found himself looking at her in a new way, and not a sisterly one either._

 _Parker smiled in spite of herself. "What?" She asked curiously._

 _Eliot quickly shook himself before he did something stupid. Like kiss her. "Just wanted to make sure you're alright. That's all." With one smooth motion, he picked himself up off the bed, only to find Parker keeping a fierce grip on his arm._

 _He had gotten up so abruptly that she couldn't help but wonder if she'd done something wrong. "Please don't go." She begged. "I don't want to be alone."_

" _I don't know if that's such a good idea Parker." Eliot didn't want to be the one to admit it, but he didn't know if he could be trusted to keep himself in check around her. After all that she had told him, he didn't want to take advantage. However, he felt strangely protective. Like he would do anything to make her feel better. Hardison be damned._

" _Please." Parker begged, on the verge of tears again. The way she was looking at him, Eliot couldn't say no if he tried._

" _Fine." He relented, huffing half heartedly. Sliding back down beside her, he made himself more comfortable before taking her back in his arms. Parker, in her boy shorts and t-shirt snuggled up against him, as he assured her: "You're secret's safe with me."_

 _When she closed her eyes, she couldn't help feeling more at peace. But there was still something nagging her in the back of her mind._

" _Eliot?"_

" _Yeah?"_

" _Did I completely ruin your night?"_

" _No. You didn't." He said, giving her shoulders a squeeze with the arm that was wrapped around them._

" _Then why were you arguing with that girl?"_

 _Eliot closed his eyes briefly before settling on an answer. "Whatever happened between me and Aimee wasn't your fault."_

" _Did you guys break up again?"_

" _Go to sleep Parker." He warned, instantly regretting it when he saw the look on her face._

 _Parker bristled. "That's not fair! I told you a secret. You've got to tell one to me. Isn't that how it works?"_

 _Eliot rolled his eyes, trying to remind himself this was Parker, and she was nothing if not tactless. Unfortunately, she had a point. "Yes. We broke up. Again."_

" _Oh."_

" _We're not talking about this."_

" _If you say so." She chided._

" _I mean it Parker." He growled._

 _I know. I know. Go to sleep." She mimicked._

 _Something in her tone made Eliot feel like dirt. She was just trying to help in her own Parker-ish way. Still, he wasn't too keen on talking about his ex to someone who he was trying very hard not to be attracted to_ _._

" _It's not you." Eliot breathed. "I just…I thought it would work this time."_

 _Parker didn't say anything. She didn't have to. Eliot knew what she meant as she gingerly leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek. A silent "She doesn't deserve you." hung in the air._

 _He didn't know if it was Aimee walking out or Parker sympathizing with him, but something deep inside of him wanted more from the woman beside him. Ignoring the voice in his head screaming that it was a bad idea, Eliot turned his head at the last second and touched Parker's lips to his._

 _Parker's eyes went wide for a split second before she closed them, savoring the feel of his mouth on hers. Nudging back, she met him with another kiss. Then another. And another. Whenever one stopped, the other continued. Neither wanting to pull away._

 _Tiny closed mouth kisses turned into light nipping. Slow and sweet turned into a fervent longing for something they were both missing. Come morning, they were nothing more than a tangled mess of tongues and limbs._

Physical affection wasn't easy for Parker. But sometimes it was the only thing she responded to. And it took a considerable amount to calm her down after a nightmare like that one. But calm down she did, replacing all her bad memories with better her life had culminated into a single night of passion from which she had never recovered. And now it was too late to do anything about it. Because Nate had summoned them all back for one final job: Eliot's wedding.


	2. Just Say Yes

**Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage, TNT and Dean Devlin do. So don't sue!**

 **Part One: You Could Be Happy – Snow Patrol**

 **Part Two: Brick – Ben Fold's Five**

 **Part Three: Happy Ending - Mika**

 **Part Four: Just Say Yes – Snow Patrol**

 **CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

 **Part One: You Could Be Happy**

"Parker, where have you been girl?!" Hardison exclaimed, pulling her into a giant bear hug. "And more importantly, why haven't you called?!"

"Well…you know…I've just been super busy…with stuff…"

"Yeah I can see! Real busy removing my GPS and polishin' up those encryption skills. If it weren't for those one line e-mails, we would have lost track of you ages ago."

"Oh Hardison! There's so much I want to tell you! Just…not now."

"That works both ways mama! Just don't do that to me again! My heart can't take it. And I'm not the only one…"

"Eliot…"

"Yeah." His voice got so low, she barely heard. "You really hurt him."

"I'll say!" exclaimed Sophie, who intercepted her. The woman had the eyes and ears of a hawk. "Welcome home my darling girl!" She hailed, snatching her away from Hardison. "Now don't you worry about Eliot! He'll come around. In the meantime, you can make the rounds with me and fill me in on what's what."

Tears appeared on Parker's face. She honestly couldn't help it, but Sophie quickly wiped them away, shushing her. "You're here now. That's all that matters."

Now put on your game face so I can introduce you around. NATE! Look who's here!"

"Parker!" Nate nodded before giving her a salute with his gin and tonic. Parker winked back, catching the wet behind his eyes. Nate had never been one for physical displays of affection – except for with Sophie. But, she could tell that he was proud to see her.

From the corner of her eye, Parker scanned the room, trying to catch a glimpse of Eliot. And boy did she get an eyeful. He was busy locking lips with none other than Aimee: his now fiancé. Parker's stomach dropped to her feet. She contemplated how long it would take her to get to the open bar without being spotted. Only she didn't get to, as a five-year-old boy came barreling towards her. Or more precisely, "Auntie Sophie".

"Bentley! How are you my lovely? Have you just arrived?"

"Yeah! I went to see Unca Eliot! But he's busy with Aunt Aimee so momma sent me to you."

"Is that so? Well come give me a hug." The little boy threw himself at Sophie. After several kisses, Sophie knelt down and motioned for Parker to do the same. "Parker, I'd like you to meet Eliot's nephew Bentley. Bentley, this is Auntie Parker. She's a good friend of your uncle's."

The little boy hid behind Sophie until Parker stuck her hand out. When Bentley went to shake it, he ended up with a piece of spearmint gum in his hand. Delighted, he demanded to be shown how to perform this new trick. They spent a few minutes practicing until Eliot finally took notice, and came over to join them.

"Hey there buddy. What's this?"

"Unca Eliot! Auntie Parker gave me gum! Then it disappeared! She knows magic!"

"I see! Auntie Parker's good at makin' stuff disappear ain't she?"

"YUP!" He cried happily.

"Hey! Let's see if I can make you disappear!" Eliot laughed, scooping him up. For a brief second, he locked eyes with Parker. His face implied that they would talk later. According to him, this was far from over. But he wasn't about to make a scene. As soon as his eyes slid away from hers, he took Bentley and left her to make the rounds with a very enthusiastic Sophie.

True to her word, Sophie introduced her to everyone in Eliot's family, and Aimee's as well. Eliot's parents had made the trip out. But even though Eliot and his dad were now on speaking terms, things were far from kosher. Parker marveled how they managed to avoid each other, even in such close quarters.

By the time Parker had met everyone, including a brief stiff lipped kiss on the cheek from Tara, she felt as though her face might fall off. She was so tired of pretending to smile when all she wanted was to collapse in a ball. A year ago, Parker would scoff at the idea of water leaking from her lids. But something about the last time she had seen Eliot made her recall memories that left her feeling positively human again.

* * *

 **Part Two: Brick**

 **One Year Ago**

 _Parker found herself outside Eliot's apartment again – a few weeks after they had slept together. Neither had mentioned it to anyone else. Nor each other. It was getting to be the elephant in the room at work. Everybody noticed the tension, but no one knew where it was coming from._

 _This forced Parker into action, and this time she made sure to get Eliot alone in his apartment. Gathering up her nerve, she went to the door and knocked like a civilized person. Once. Twice._

 _Eliot answered in record time. But all Parker saw was his face fall when he opened the door. Like he was expecting someone else._

 _Even so, he recovered quickly. "Hey Parker. What are you doing here?"_

" _I came to see you. I really need to talk to you about…about...pretzels."_

" _Uh…sure. You gonna come in?"_

" _I won't stay long."_

 _Eliot nodded. They did need to talk. But it looked like he would be doing most of it._

" _I would offer you something to drink, but Aimee's gonna be here any minute."_

" _Aimee?"_

" _Yeah, she called to apologize. So I guess it's my turn to apologize to you. That night should have never happened. I took advantage of you, and I'm sorry. I was on the rebound, and my head was messed up."_

" _So was mine." Parker admitted, knowing she couldn't very well tell him her secret now. Her mind flashed to the positive pregnancy test, now in the trash can at her apartment._

" _It's no excuse though. I shouldn't have led you on. Especially after you confided in me. It wasn't fair to either one of us."_

" _So you're saying that night was a mistake?"_

 _Eliot's face fell again. "Yeah. I am. But…and I mean this Parker. I'm still here if you need to talk or what not."_

" _Wow…okay…so yeah I'm just gonna…leave you to your date."_

" _Wait. You said you had something to tell me."_

" _Oh. It wasn't important. I was just going to agree with you. It's best to forget this ever happened." Parker promised, even though that was the last thing she wanted to do._

" _Come on Parker, don't be like that."_

" _No. It's totally fine. It's a relief actually. I feel the exact same way." Parker plastered a smile on her face and began to walk right out the way she had came._

" _Are we okay?" Eliot asked uncertainly._

" _Yeah. We are." Parker stopped just long enough to give him a reassuring hug before returning to her apartment where she would most likely be packing. She wasn't about to come between Eliot's happiness with Aimee. She would shoulder her secret and move on. Just like she had always done._

 **Part Three: Happy Ending - Mika**

It had been exactly one year since she had lost the baby. To this day, no one on the team knew why she had left and never returned. At first it had been because she had a little person inside of her and couldn't continue thieving until it was out. But now that the fetus was gone, she didn't have that problem. Instead, she ran into a different problem – the need to mourn.

She'd been six months pregnant when she'd suffered a miscarriage. It was strange to think about her unborn child now. She always thought she'd have a little piece of Eliot to keep with her – even when he didn't love her like she wanted. But without the baby, she felt strangely empty. And maybe a little relieved. She had no idea how to take care of a child. Even so, she felt a certain sense of regret.

Regardless of her relationship with Eliot (or lack thereof), she was back at Leverage, Incorporated for good now. And she had to make the best of it. Her heart couldn't take leaving again. She would find her way back into the lives of her family, and hopefully find healing in revealing the truth. Mostly because she would never be able to live with herself if she didn't give them all a chance to understand why she had done what she'd done.

Out of the corner of her eye, Parker could see Eliot approaching her again. Most everyone had left the party – including Aimee and Tara. Sophie and Nate were talking in the corner, and Hardison was keeping his distance on his laptop, knowing that what was about to go down didn't concern him. Not that it stopped him from eavesdropping with all those bugs he had around the apartment.

"Hey." Eliot greeted her.

"Hey." Parker repeated.

Eliot gave her the once over and decided to go for casual. "It's been awhile darlin'. How've you been?"

Parker opened and closed her mouth a few times before settling on "fine."

Eliot knew better. Sensing that there were too many eyes on what should be a private conversation, Eliot took his hand and placed it on the small of Parker's back, leading her to the roof. Of all places, it was where Parker felt the safest.

Once there, Eliot walked over to the side of the building and leaned on the overhang. "So…you gonna tell me where you've been? Or am I gonna have to guess?"

Parker sighed. "I've been working with Archie. I had a…situation…come up, and I needed to be on my own for awhile." She could tell Eliot was having a hard time reading her.

Looking off into the distance, he laid everything on the line. "Here's the deal Parker. I'm gonna ask you a couple of questions, and I'm only gonna ask once. I'll believe whatever you tell me. But you need to be straight with me. Understand?"

Parker nodded.

Shifting his weight, Eliot turned looking straight at her. "Did you leaving have anything to do with me?"

Parker nodded.

"Is it something we could have worked out?"

This time Parker shook her head.

"When you're ready, we're gonna have a nice long talk about it. But only if you answer me one more question.

Parker held her breath. **Did he know?**

"Are you gonna run again?"

The question took Parker off guard. After thinking about it for a minute or two, she shook her head again.

"Good. Cause if you are thinking about running, don't bother coming back."

"Eliot…."

"Don't. Just…don't. I want the truth from you Parker. And I know I'm not gonna get it right now. So it's only fair if I tell you the truth first."

Parker stayed silent, knowing he wasn't entirely wrong.

"There's something you need to know. You nearly killed me when you took off. For awhile, I tried to make excuses for you. But after that, I realized how selfish you were being: because, if you had given a crap about me (or any of us for that matter), you would have included us in your decision. You didn't even say anything to Hardison except those crappy one-line e-mails. I get that you needed space. But one of these days you're going to have to tell me why. And if you can't do that, then I have nothing left to say to you."

"I'm so sorry." Parker whispered. "I had a good reason."

"I hope so. Because I'm not gonna lose you again."

Parker's head jerked up to look at him, tears bright and brimming in her eyes.

Eliot didn't move at first. But after a few minutes, he came and put his arms around her, bringing her in close. So close she could smell his aftershave.

"Welcome home, Parker." He whispered, kissing her softly on the cheek before letting go altogether and making his way back downstairs. Parker stayed where she was, letting out the breath she was holding. This was gonna be harder than she thought. But Eliot was right about one thing. She had been selfish. She had made the decision to leave for him, without ever thinking about what he would have done had he known her secret. And now she would never get the chance.

* * *

 **Part Four: Just Say Yes**

"Oh. My. God." Hardison exclaimed. "There is something seriously wrong with those two."

"Well it doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened. It's just too bad we couldn't catch it before it turned into this whole big thing." Sophie lamented.

"Question is what are we gonna do about it?" Nate pontificated.

Sophie turned to Nate, gawking. "What are _**we**_ going to do about it? Why Nate, are you suggesting that we meddle in their very personal, very private affairs?"

"Frankly I couldn't care less, but when the cons suffer, so do I. I think for everyone's sanity, it's for the best."

"You are talking about Parker right? Her and sanity don't exactly go hand in hand." Hardison pointed out.

"You're just sore because she dumped you and slept with Eliot." Sophie shot back.

"Nah. I'm over that man. Much as I love Parker, I think we get along better when we're not together. I'm still pissed at her for leaving, but my heat ain't got nothing on Eliot's."

"He did take it the hardest." Sophie admitted.

"Do you think he'd ever dump Aimee for Parker if they worked things out?" Hardison asked.

"That's the million dollar question. And I aim to find out." Sophie answered.

"Sophie, when I said we were going to meddle, I didn't necessarily mean with the wedding."

"Well you should have been more specific."

"I'm spelling it out now."

"Too late." She chirped. "Parker deserves a chance to be happy too. Now I just have to convince her to go shopping…"

"I'll plant the bugs in their ears." Hardison grinned, all too happy to have a plan. He was gonna be the best man ever, even if Eliot killed him.

Nate sighed. "There's no stopping you people once you've decided on a con, is there?"

"Pot meet kettle." Hardison fired back.

"Just say it darling."

"Alright! Alright! Fine!" Nate caved, making a show of rolling his eyes while inside he was filled with gleeful mischief. "Let's go steal a wedding."

"Yeah baby!" Hardison exclaimed, firing up his laptop in preparation for the fireworks.


	3. He Loves You Not

**Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage. Dean Devlin does. So don't sue.**

 **Part One: She Loves You Not - Dream  
**

 **Part Two: Happy For You - Saving Jane**

 **Part Three: Emergency - Paramore  
**

 **CHAPTER THREE  
**

* * *

 **Part One: She Loves You Not**

"How does it look?" Aimee asked Sophie and Tara. The two were there to approve the final fitting of her wedding dress. Parker tagged along only because Sophie had dragged her, and Aimee was doing everything in her power to make her feel excluded.

"Bellissimo!" Tara exclaimed.

"Stunning!" Added Sophie, going up to Amy to smooth the dress down in the back and give it the proper shape. "Don't you think so Parker?"

The woman in question thought it made her look like a giant marshmellow, but she wasn't about to voice that opinion out loud. "Looks great!" She said, with a tight smile. "Who designed it again?"

Aimee threw her a look. "This happens to be a Vera Wang original. Eliot spared no expense." She sighed, preening in the mirror.

"Yeah, I can see that." Parker mumbled as Sophie elbowed her in the ribs. "I mean, you can tell he really likes you by all the money he's dishing out." She tried a little louder.

There was that look again. Sophie stepped in to cover for her. "Yes, we all know how smitten Eliot is. The pair of you are such a good fit for each other, and I, for one, can't wait to see you walk down the aisle. Oh, you're going to look so beautiful!"

"Did I tell you his entire family is coming?" Eliot's future bride bragged. "His dad made the trip especially for this. I was the one who talked him into coming. We go way back, and I was the only one on God's green earth who was able to talk some sense into that man."

"I know it means a lot to Eliot that he'll be there." Sophie added.

"Yeah, just keep them away from the open bar." Parker snorted mid-laugh, oblivious to Aimee's death glare. "What?" She was getting really tired of being the odd man out.

"Parker, why don't you tell me about your family." Aimee asked, knowing full well it was a subject Parker was loath to discuss. "If we're going to be friends, I need to know a little something about you. Eliot says you've been visiting with your grandfather?"

Parker's eyebrows scrunched together as Sophie stepped in. "Parker, you don't have to…"

"No….no it's fine. If you must know, his name is Archie, and he's like a father to me…you know, aside from Nate. Taught me everything I know."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Oh you know, art appreciation. Self defense. Stuff like that."

"Hmm…well it's too bad you couldn't have stayed longer. Or brought him along. There's always room at the wedding if you want to bring a date."

"Archie doesn't do weddings." Parker stole a look at Sophie. She was looking particularly uncomfortable. As close as Aimee and Eliot were, the bride-to-be still didn't know the half of what their crew did.

"Well I love weddings! So many single and horny men ripe for the picking." Tara smiled.

 _ **You would know…**_ Parker thought to herself.

"Well you'll have your pick." Aimee promised. "Maybe you can set one of them up with Parker."

Tara smiled. "It won't be hard. She's so adorable."

Parker did her best not to scratch out the woman's eyes. She was already fidgety enough as it was, trying to keep herself in check. Still, nobody called her adorable and got away with it.

"Sophie, why don't you and Tara go to that cute café across the street and get us a table. Parker and I can finish up here. I want a chance to talk with my girl."

Sophie's eyes quickly fixed on Parker's face. The 'girl' in question looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Are you sure?" Sophie began, but was cut off by Tara.

"They'll be fine! Come on, let's go before all the good spots get taken! _"_

"Well….I….uh" Sophie tried, but Tara was already whisking her away as she looked back at Parker over her shoulder.

A cat that ate the canary grin spread across Aimee's face as soon as the two women were gone. "Good. Now we have a chance to talk."

"Oh goodie." Parker deadpanned.

"You don't like me do you?"

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to."

"I don't **know** you well enough to like you. Or not like you. You're just Eliot's…." She started to say ex before catching herself.

Amy turned around and fixed her with a fake smile. "Yes. **I** am Eliot's fiancée. Not you. Got it? Look, I don't care if you guys work together or whatever it is you do, just so long as you remember that."

"So what you're saying is you're cool with us working together so long as I don't get in your way."

"You know Parker, I don't think you understand my position here. You weren't the one who had to listen to him talk about you for hours on end. Or watch him spend days on the phone trying to track you down. Or help him scour every newspaper in the tri-state area looking for some kind of obituary." (Eliot was indeed looking for a newspaper headline about a Parker-like heist but he wouldn't tell Aimee that).

"I get it. I messed up."

"You did more than mess up. You messed **him** up. You wanna know what I think Parker? I think if you really cared about him, you'd stay the hell away from him altogether."

Parker stood in shock. She hadn't expected Amy to be so direct.

Aimee, for her part, let out a little laugh. "Can't say I'm sorry it happened. Guess it served him right after he walked out on me all those years ago. But I've forgiven him just like he's forgiven you. So that means I get to put up with you. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. Or that I've forgiven you. I'm only doing what Eliot doesn't have the heart to do. If it were up to me, though, you'd be the first one out the door."

Parker stood still as tears began to build behind her eyes. She felt them just as vividly as she had when Dalton Rand cold-read her brother's story.

Aimee, seeing that she had made her point, turned around and flagged an attendant to help her out of the dress. Parker used the distraction to turn on her heel before she punched the cowgirl out. She wanted to make her hurt as much she was hurting now. But any mark would get back to Eliot and he'd be even more pissed than he already was.

Thankfully, Sophie had come back to tell them their table was ready. How long she was standing there, Parker had no idea. Judging from the strange smile on her face, Parker was sure she was up to something.

"Parker, you're coming with me. We still need to find you a dress to wear. Aimee, Tara's holding a table for you two. I think I'm just going to take Parker here and do a little shopping. She'll probably hate it less if it's just the two of us. It's so hard to get her to wear a dress!"

"Oh Sophie, thank you! Here. Take my credit card. If you find something you like, just put it on there. It's the least I can do for my new friend here."

Parker glared daggers at the woman, but Aimee leveled her with a look that dared her to tell Sophie what they had talked about. She couldn't bring herself to broach the subject because whatever she said would get back to Eliot. And he didn't even know the truth about why she'd left yet.

* * *

 **Part Two: I'm So Happy For You, Baby, I Could Cry**

Parker got back from a long day of shopping, surprised to find a guest waiting outside her warehouse/apartment.

"Surprise." Eliot greeted, with a quirk of his lips.

"Eliot! What are you doing here?"

"I think we need to talk."

"Now? Here?"

Eliot's lips went into a straight thin line as he sighed. "Is this a bad time?"

"Not exactly, but…"

"Parker, are we ever gonna talk about it?"

"I guess now is okay…but…"

"But what?"

"I just…I don't want you to hate me."

"Believe me Parker, we're way past that. If you tell me the truth you have nothing to worry about. Why don't we go inside though?"

"Um…sure."

Eliot followed Parker into her building, waiting for her to get past the security measures before he placed a hand on her shoulder. Leaving her no choice but to turn around.

"What do you want to know?" Parker asked, nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"I want to know why you left. I want to know what was so important that you had to take off without letting anyone know?"

"You mean that thing that came up?"

"Yeah…that _thing_."

Parker took a deep breath. It was now or never. "I…I got pregnant."

Eliot turned on her so fast that she didn't have time to react. He stared at her like she'd grown two heads. "Say what?"

"I know I should have told you, but…"

"But what?"

"But you said it was a mistake."

"The SEX Parker! Not a KID I never knew about!"

"Well I know that now…but…"

"How long?" His voice was dangerously low.

"Please! Please don't be mad."

"HOW. LONG. PARKER?" He shouted, losing what little patience he had.

"A year ago. It was right after we slept together. I haven't been with anyone since."

"And you never told me? You didn't think I needed to _know_?!" If Eliot wasn't pissed off before, he sure was now.

"I didn't know HOW! You went back to Aimee. You picked her over me!"

"Well you didn't give me much of a choice. You knew you were pregnant before you left and you didn't say a damned thing! I would have done right by you Parker."

"You say that now, but you would have regretted it. And you would have blamed me."

"You don't know that." Eliot's voice went eerily quiet.

"Okay so I'm not psychic, but I thought you would hate me for coming in between you and Aimee. I couldn't bear to let that happen. I didn't want to be the reason you were miserable."

Eliot dropped into the nearest chair, letting out his frustrations with a heavy sigh. Buying time, he covered his face with his hands until he had gotten a hold of himself. Finally, he was able to lock eyes with her, whispering: "You never gave me the chance to prove you wrong."

For a few seconds, Parker felt a shred of hope. Was it was too late to make amends? "Please...Just tell me what to do to make things right..."

"We can't go back Parker. I want to meet…him? Her? Hell, it's my own kid, and I don't even know if it's a boy or a girl." He lamented.

"A boy." Parker whispered. "He was a boy. I named him Eliot, Jr."

" _Was?_ WAS _?!_ " Eliot's voice strained under the weight of shock.

"Was." Parker confessed, ashamed. "I had a miscarriage six months into the pregnancy."

A single tear fell from the Thief's eye, her grief mirrored in the Hitter's. Parker never thought she would live to see was the day that Eliot Spencer cried, grieving for the wife and son he never had. His sadness didn't last long though as the reality of the situation began to sink in.

"SIX MONTHS?! SIX MONTHS Parker! And you didn't have the common DECENCY to pick up the damn PHONE?"

"Eliot! Wait! Don't go!" Desperately, she put a hand on his arm, which he promptly shook off.

"You never gave me a choice Parker. Like I said, I would have done right by you. But the fact that you doubted me means you don't trust me. And if we don't have trust, we don't have anything."

"I came back!"

"Yeah, you did. But it's gonna take a lot of work before things are okay again. Face it Parker. You made that decision alone, and now you are alone. Because I can't...I can't do this again."

"Eliot!" She cried out. "I won't come in between you and your new wife. But I'm not leaving again, because as much as you hate me right now, I don't know how to live without you."

"I don't hate you Parker." He relented. She started towards him, but the steely gaze he fixed her with made her stop mid-step. "I'm disappointed in you. You lied to me. FOR OVER A YEAR. And now you show up again expectin' me to act like nothing's even happened, and…" He ran a hand through his hair, unsure of whether to go on, "and then you drop this on me ONE DAY before I get married. I just…I don't know how to deal with that.

"I wish I could make it easier. But I can't lie anymore."

"Neither can I. You might as well have stabbed me through the heart because that's exactly what it feels like. So no. You don't get to come back and expect me to be okay with how we left things."

"Okay." Parker whispered. "Okay. This is where we're at. You don't hate me, and you're getting married tomorrow. If you don't want me to be at your wedding, I'll understand, but…"

"No Parker. You're going to be there. And you're going to see me marry Aimee. And you're going to be happy for me. Because anything less would be a cruel trick of the heart."

"I'll be there. And I'll try to get along with Aimee. But I don't think she likes me very much." Parker admitted.

"Would you? After what you did? Put yourself in her shoes Parker."

"What about what I've been through? Doesn't that count for anything?"

"Sure it does. But you haven't seriously considered the consequences of your actions. As much as I care about you Parker, I can't bring myself to feel sorry for you."

"I don't want you to feel sorry for me. I just want you to understand why I did what I did."

"Then why did you do it Parker?"

"Because I…I…lo-" The words stuck in her throat as Eliot's face went three shades darker.

"DON'T! Don't you dare throw that word around." Eliot spat. "Because, if you had ever loved me, you wouldn't have left. And you wouldn't have come back just to spring all this on me right before my wedding!"

"It still doesn't change the fact that I do. And I'm sorry. There are no happy endings Eliot. Not for me. But you have a chance at one. And the last thing I want to do is ruin it."

"Then I guess I'll see you at the wedding."

"Yeah, at the wedding." She said, letting out a little smile as she walked away.

"Don't think about chickening out either. You better be there."

She turned around briefly, catching his eye. "Don't worry. I will be. It's the least I can do. Be happy Eliot." And with that she turned and disappeared into the darkness of her home. Leaving Eliot to find his own way out.

* * *

 **Part Three: Emergency  
**

"Did you get it?" Asked Sophie.

"Sure did." Hardison confirmed. "What do you want me to do with it?"

"Well, we don't have much time. Still, Eliot has to hear what's on this tape."

"Sophie…where exactly did this tape come from?" Nate questioned warily.

"Oh! That's simple. I used your button cam. You can thank Hardison for that."

 _ **Flashback**_

" _How does it look?" Aimee asked Sophie and Tara. The two were there to approve the final fitting of her wedding dress._

" _Bellissimo!" Tara exclaimed._

" _Stunning!" Added Sophie, going up to Amy to smooth the dress down in the back and give it the proper shape. "Don't you think so Parker?"_

 _The question caught the blonde headed thief off guard long enough for her to miss the camera Sophie quickly hid within the folds of the dress she was fiddling with._

 _The grifter knew it was only a matter of time before Aimee showed her true colors, and now seemed as good time as any to test that theory. She wasn't disappointed._

 ** _End Flashback_**

"So how do we play it for him? There's no way to get him alone before the ceremony. Aimee won't let him out of her sight. And before you even suggest it, I'm not breaking into their apartment just to plant a bug." Hardison warned.

"What about e-mail?" Nate asked.

"And have his business spread all over the web? I don't want to be on the receiving end of Eliot's fist when he finds out what we did. And that's assuming he even has e-mail to check. Man still lives in the dark ages." The hacker groused.

We have no choice, then. We'll have to do it at the ceremony." Sophie decided.

"Do you think it'll make a difference?" Nate queried. "Are you sure we aren't just making things worse? Y'know fighting fire with fire?"

"Much as I hate to admit it, Nate's got a point. You know how stubborn Eliot can be…especially when it comes to Parker." Hardison reminded them.

"Well he's being a right arse if you ask me." Sophie complained. "And the stuff on this tape confirms it. Besides, Aimee's been blindsiding him."

"Not arguing with you there. But, it might take more than a tape to convince him. Chances are, he's gonna keep being an 'arse' until he figures things out." cautioned Hardison.

"Well at least he'll be an informed one. And we can rest easy knowing we did all we can do." Sophie replied.

"If you say so." Nate relented. "Let's just hope it works.


	4. Walking After You

**Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage. Dean Devlin does. So don't sue.**

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

 **Part One: Secret Garden – Bruce Springsteen**

 **Part Two: Closer – Joshua Radin**

 **Part Three: Walking After You – Foo Fighters**

* * *

 **Part One: Secret Garden**

The outdoor venue stretched for miles along the Charles River. Aimee truly had picked the perfect place for her wedding. Of course, it was overshadowed by all the over-the-top decorations.

The garden was covered in relentless pastels. White orchids bloomed as far as the eye could see. Ribbons flowed in every direction. Not to mention, the hundreds of chairs bunched together in a semi-circle facing the trellis where the bride and groom would stand.

Parker took it all in with a heavy heart. She had never felt more alone in her life. Maybe it was the fact that she was the only one not invited into the wedding party. Or maybe it was because the ushers seated her towards the back of the crowd, behind Eliot's friends and family. However, Parker was pretty sure that it was mostly due to the fact that she was about to lose Eliot to Aimee forever.

Sensing the need for a distraction, she decided to get up from her seat and walk around. It was still early, and she could barely see from her vantage point. Vaguely, she wondered if anyone would notice her climbing one of the nearby trees. She was seriously considering it when it dawned on her that she was wearing a very tight and very expensive dress. A dress Sophie would kill over if it got ripped.

Glumly, Parker continued to wander aimlessly away from the crowded garden. The further she walked away from the gathering crowd, the clearer her head became. She was beginning to feel more at peace with herself until she heard what sounded like a snuffle. Deciding to investigate, she followed the noise to the area between the bride's tent and groom's tent, looking for what sounded a lot like a little boy crying. Sure enough, there was Bentley, not three feet in front of her, wailing his little heart out.

"Bentley?" She asked, kneeling down beside him. How the other adults had missed him, she had no idea. Apparently, they were too busy getting ready for the wedding to notice.

"Do you remember me? My name's Parker. I'm Uncle Eliot's and Aunt Sophie's friend."

At first Bentley looked up at her like he was afraid. But she soon got him to open up by promising more gum. Deftly, she slid it in between his fingers, watching as he stuck it in his mouth happily. He sat there chewing until his sobs turned back to sniffles.

"There. That's better." Parker coaxed, smiling at him.

Bentley managed a watery smile back.

"Do you wanna tell me what happened?"

Bentley nodded.

"I was trying ta find Unca Eliot. So I went in there." He said, pointing to the bride's tent. "I couldn't find him. So I asked Aunt Aimee." He looked on the verge of tears again. "It was a accident."

"What was an accident?"

I pulled on Aunt Aimee's dress. She got mad and spanked me and told me I was bad." Fat tears rolled down his plump cheeks. "I didn't mean ta be bad. I just wan' my unca." He sniffed.

Parker took her hand and wiped his tears away. "That wasn't your fault Bentley. Aunt Aimee is just being a Bridezilla."

"What's a Brazilla?" He snuffled curiously.

Parker chuckled. "All brides turn into Bridezillas on their wedding day. They want everything to be perfect and they're under so much stress that they don't realize it turns them into a monster."

"Aunt Aimee's a monster?" Bentley asked, his eyes wide.

"She can't help it. And it's only for one day. But that's why she was being so mean. It's a secret though. So you can't tell anybody. You just have to stay out of her way until after she's gotten married. Then tomorrow she'll be back to normal."

"Is Unca Eliot a monster too?"

"No. It only happens to girls."

"Are you sure it's just for today? Aunt Aimee's mean. What if she's a monster every day?"

Parker didn't know what to say. With many a protest in heart, she decided to defend Aimee. "I'm sure Aunt Aimee loves you very much. She's only so squirrely today because she wants her wedding to be perfect."

"I don't like her." He mumbled. "She yells at me. And she never lets me see Unca Eliot."

"Don't you worry. You're gonna get to see plenty of your Uncle Eliot."

"But I live in Ke-tuc-ee." He said tripping over his state's name. "I never get to see him." Bentley looked on the verge of tears again.

"I don't care if you live in Kentucky or not. I'm not gonna let that happen. I'm your Uncle Eliot's friend too, and I'll kick his butt if he doesn't skype you at least once a week."

"What's sky?"

"Skype." Parker corrected. "It's like talking to a video camera. Only you can see the person you're talking to and they can see you. I'll get Uncle Hardison to show you all about it."

"Promise?"

"Sure do. Now let's go see if we can find your Uncle Eliot."

The young thief nearly jumped out of her skin as Eliot materialized in front of them.

"No need to buddy! I'm right here." Eliot said, surprising them both. To this day, he was the only one besides Archie who had ever been able to catch her off guard.

Eliot hadn't necessarily been eavesdropping, but he heard enough to know that Parker would have made a great mom. Even with the bridezilla jokes….which after what he had been through for this wedding…weren't entirely inappropriate.

"UNCA ELIOT!" Bentley cried, diving headfirst into his favorite relative's waiting arms.

"Good." Parker said. "You guys are together. I'm just gonna get back to my seat…"

"Wait Parker."

"Yeah? What is it?" Her words were impatient, but her tone was soft.

The only thing Eliot wanted to do was apologize, but the words stuck and died in his throat. So he went for the easy way out. "Thanks for taking care of Bentley here. His momma was startin' ta get worried."

"Yeah. No problem." Parker muttered, lost in thoughts of their own little boy whom they would never get to know.

"Unca Eliot, can Aunt Parker come with us?"

"Not this time little man. Besides, you've got a big job to get ready for. You don't think just anybody can be my ring bearer."

"REALLY?" Bentley's eyes lit right up.

"Yeah buddy. You're gonna do it just like we practiced."

"COOL!"

"Now give Aunt Parker here a big hug. You'll see her later."

Parker bent down once again to his level as Bentley surprised her with a kiss on the cheek.

"Boy's got the Spencer charm." Eliot winked.

Parker felt a tear roll down her cheek and went to wipe it away immediately as Eliot tried hard not to notice. If he so much as acknowledged Parker's feelings, he knew his resolve would crumble into a million pieces.

"Thanks again Parker." Eliot repeated, looking her straight in the eye and instantly regretting it. He was on the verge of tears himself. "Come on Bentley. Let's go find your momma."

* * *

 **Part Two: Closer (All You Have To Do Is Cry)**

The wedding ceremony was well under way by the time Parker got back to her seat. Luckily, she made it back before the bride came charging down the aisle.

Still, she wished she had missed the torture she was currently being subjected to. Some lady was chortling away at Ave Maria and it was all that the thief could do to keep from sticking her fingers in her ears. Regardless, she kept a forced smile on her face, just like Sophie had taught her to do whenever she felt like stabbing someone.

None too soon, the wedding march sounded, and a relieved Parker stood on cue. She watched as Tara and Hardison walked arm in arm to the canopied overhang, followed by Sophie and Nate. Next came Eliot, hanging on his mother's arm. Judging from how handsome he looked, no one would guess he beat people up for a living. She had to try hard not to stare as he strolled past. It suddenly occurred to her that she was going to have to work that much harder to keep her feelings in check.

Somehow the universe sensed this, and decided she needed all the practice she could get. As the bride came billowing out, Parker was forced to keep her hands fisted in her dress. _Like that would do anything to stop her from wringing the woman's throat after the way she'd treated Bentley…_

As the bride and groom settled at the altar, Parker took her seat again. She was caught somewhere between being glued to her chair and bouncing right off of it. The more the minister talked, the more ill at ease she became. She wasn't sure she could go through with her promise to stay and not say anything - especially when the minister got to the "speak now or forever hold your peace" part.

She literally had to clamp her teeth on her tongue as she squirmed in her seat. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, a huge wail resounded from the crowd, causing everyone to crane their necks at the disturbance.

Once again, there was Bentley, hugging his momma for dear life and bawling even worse than before. Despite his mother's best efforts, there was just no way of calming the boy down.

Eliot was the first to notice that something was wrong as unshed tears burned behind his temporarily closed eyelids. As it turned out, Bentley was doing the one thing Eliot couldn't bring himself to do. After his argument with Parker, he'd been so upset he couldn't think straight. But once he'd had a chance to calm down, he realized what an idiot he'd been – blaming her for everything and taking none of it for himself. Never mind that Aimee wasn't helping matters. All she could do was gush about how expensive the wedding was going to be, and how she couldn't wait to show him off to their family and friends.

In one split second, Eliot found himself on the verge of a life altering decision. Instead of blaming the little boy or trying to shut him up so the ceremony could continue, Eliot took the bull by the horns, and left his bride standing at the altar. Ignoring Aimee's urgent hisses and ruffled feathers, he did his best to console his favorite nephew at the expense of everyone and everything else.

It was only when Eliot kneeled down, level with Bentley's face that the boy finally began to quiet down.

"Hey buddy…" He murmured.

Bentley's eyes went wide.

"What's the matter?"

Bentley looked up, trying to decide whether to lie or not. He didn't want to get in trouble again.

Eliot knew that look only too well. One glance at the little boy had him spilling his guts.

"Momma said you were leaving."

"Leaving? Where?"

"On a hon-ee-moon. She said you might not ever come back."

"Is that so?" Eliot asked, throwing a glare at his sister.

"He asked when he would get to see you again." She replied, embarassed. "I was only making a joke sweetheart." She said, trying to explain to her five year old that he wasn't permanently losing his uncle over an island in the sun and some beach-blonde bimbo.

"Bentley," Eliot coaxed, "I want you to tell me the truth, okay? And no matter what you say you won't get in trouble. Can you do that?

The boy nodded his head emphatically, proud that he could be of help.

"Do you really want to see me to marry Aunt Aimee?" Eliot asked point blank.

Reluctantly, the little boy shook his head.

"Why not?" Eliot pressed.

It was at that moment that Bentley decided to give his favorite uncle a hug - just so he could whisper in his ear. "I don't think she likes me." He whispered. "She's always yelling."

"Yelling?" Eliot asked. "About what?"

"Oh I got you bro!" Hardison murmured to himself as the stage speakers blared to life. He'd been listening the whole time, waiting for the perfect moment to broadcast Aimee's harsh words to Parker over the sound system. Naturally, the wedding came to a halt as the private conversation was made public:

" _You don't like me do you?" Aimee's voice rang out._

" _I never said that." Parker replied, defending herself._

" _You didn't have to."_

" _I don't_ _ **know**_ _you well enough to like you. Or not like you. You're just Eliot's…." She started to say ex before catching herself._

 _Amy turned around and fixed her with a fake smile. "Yes._ _ **I**_ _am Eliot's fiancée. Not you. Got it? Look, I don't care if you guys work together or whatever it is you do, just so long as you remember that."_

" _So what you're saying is you're cool with us working together so long as I don't get in your way."_

" _You know Parker, I don't think you understand my position here. You weren't the one who had to listen to him talk about you for hours on end. Or watch him spend days on the phone trying to track you down. Or help him scour every newspaper in the tri-state area looking for some kind of obituary."_

" _I get it. I messed up."_

" _You did more than mess up. You messed_ _ **him**_ _up. You wanna know what I think Parker? I think if you really cared about him, you'd stay the hell away from him altogether."_

 _Aimee, continued, letting out a little laugh. "Can't say I'm sorry it happened. Guess it served him right after he walked out on me all those years ago. But I've forgiven him just like he's forgiven you. So that means I get to put up with you. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. Or that I've forgiven you. I'm only doing what Eliot doesn't have the heart to. If it were up to me, though, you'd be the first one out the door."_

Eliot's eyes grew darker than a storm cloud as he realized exactly how much he'd been lied to by his current fiancée. Even though Aimee initially stood up for him, it wasn't what he had asked for. Or deserved. Knowing that his fiancée was so jealous that she would sabotage his relationship with Parker all but killed him. He had hoped the two would get along, but he saw now that was impossible. Thus, it was up to him to make things right.

Instead of moving back to rejoin his fiancée, he turned again to Bentley.

"I have one more question for you Bentley."

The boy looked spellbound, paying close attention.

"Is there someone here who you do like? Someone you think I'd be happy with?"

Carefully, Bentley nodded.

"Do you think you could show her to me?"

Quick as a flash, Bentley's face lit up and he was out of his seat and running to the back of the garden."

The stunned crowd watched as he flung himself right at Parker, nearly knocking her backwards out of her seat.

I like this one!" Bentley announced for the whole world to hear.

* * *

 **Part 3: Walking After You**

Sophie watched in silent delight as Eliot slowly made his way over to Parker, leaving Aimee to stand at the altar with her mouth hanging wide open. The bride in question turned a bright red, trying to form words, that made her hiss and spit like an overflowing teapot.

Personally, Sophie thought it was a big improvement over her normal demeanor. She'd had quite enough of being bossed around by the snooty Southerner. Though since it had all been for a good cause and everything was going according to plan, it was well worth it. Frankly, it was all the Brit could do to keep from cheering.

Adjusting her ear bud, she shot a wink to Hardison, who killed the sound system; leaving dead silence in his wake. Hardison may have provided the sight and sound for each of these untimely events, but he couldn't take all the credit.

Tara had been instrumental in helping such events to progress. It was she who had initiated the conversation between Parker and Aimee by pretending to drag Sophie away in the dress shop. It was she who had made sure to direct Bentley to Aimee in the bridal tent. And it was she who sat next to Eliot's sister, striking up a conversation about the honeymoon for Bentley to overhear.

It was pure luck that the hacker had been in Eliot's ear the whole time via earbud. Thus, he was able to overhear Bentley's whispered confession, giving him the perfect opportunity to act.

Originally, he had told the hitter the earbuds were just an added precaution, but they both knew the truth. If anything went wrong, it would be their necks on the line. More over, Eliot needed someone in his ear that he could trust – because, if he were being truly honest with himself, he'd been having major doubts about this wedding ever since Parker had reemerged.

Hardison had to admit he was still curious as to why Parker had left, but only Eliot knew the answer to that one. And he wasn't talking. Then again, perhaps there were some good things that came out of the thief's absence. If things had been different, Hardison may never have found a friend in Tara. Well maybe more than a friend… The jury was still out on that one.

As soon as he killed the sound system, Hardison felt the woman in question sidling up beside him. Putting a hand over his, she leaned in and confidently smiled at him. Without words, she let him know that her part in the con was complete, and that the rest of it was up to Nate.


	5. Thick As Thieves

**Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage. Dean Devlin and TNT do. So don't sue.**

 **Song Suggestions:**

Part One: Thick As Thieves - Shinedown

Part Two: If you Leave - OMD

Part Three: Stolen – Dashboard Confessional

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

* * *

 **Part One – Thick As Thieves**

Parker watched in amazement as Eliot made his way towards her. She was stunned to say the least. Having no idea what to expect, she turned her attention to Bentley. The small boy clung to her, trying to crawl in her lap. He appeared to be both hiding and protecting her from Aimee's looming form – a form that was getting dangerously closer.

Pulling Bentley into her lap, Parker encircled him with her arms, making sure to keep him as far away from Eliot's furious fiancee as possible. Still, the dreaded Bridezilla towered over them, looking every bit the witch Bentley thought she was. Before Parker could even blink, Aimee lit into them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She demanded spitefully, stomping her foot for emphasis. Parker wasn't sure whether the woman was addressing her or the five year old.

Eliot, though, knew exactly whom she was talking to and responded in kind.

"Something I should have done a long time ago." He replied, cutting her off. Turning to Parker, he took out his earbud, and pressed it carefully in the palm of her hand. Then, bending down on one knee, so that only she could hear, he told the truth about his feelings for the first time in years.

"Listen to me, Parker." He urged. "I never should have let you walk out that night. It was my fault you left, and I never once said I'm sorry. Well…I'm saying it now. And, it's something you need to hear because as much as I tried to blame you, you did nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong?" Aimee sputtered. "She all but abandoned you! You said so yourself!

"See that's where you're wrong." Eliot explained, never taking his eyes off the beautiful blonde. "It was me who abandoned her. I just didn't know it at the time."

"What in the sam hill are you talking about?" Aimee cried, flustered at being left out.

"I think I can answer that." Nate announced, materializing out of the crowd. As casually as could be, he strolled down the middle of the aisle, placing himself between the bride and groom. Archie followed closely behind him, coming to rest at Parker's side.

"Aimee, meet Archie: Parker's 'father'." Nate prefaced. "It took a bit of finagling, but in the interest of his 'daughter' he's agreed to come here and tell us what's been going on."

"Parker." Archie warned. "It's time. Tell them or I will."

"But…I can't…" She stammered, all before giving up.

The look Archie gave her said everything she couldn't. Taking the earbud from her hand, Archie gently pressed it into her ear, so that everyone could hear what she had to say via Hardison.

Even so, the words stuck in her throat. She had to force them out. "I have a reason you shouldn't marry Aimee." She whispered to the groom. Eliot, who was still kneeling beside her, took her hand, encouraging her to reveal the secret she had kept from her family for so long.

Facing Aimee, Parker addressed her directly. "See, I kind of got pregnant. And Eliot is…was the father. Only he didn't know. We slept together a year ago, and I never told him because I didn't think he'd want me…or the baby. I thought it would mess things up. So I went to stay with Archie."

"There's a BABY?!" Aimee's eyes went wide with shock.

"Well not anymore." Parker snapped. Taking a deep breath, she revealed the one thing she'd still been keeping from Eliot (and everyone else). "I mean, I thought about getting an abortion, but Archie wouldn't let me. And the longer I carried the baby, the more I realized I couldn't do that to him. It doesn't matter anyway though because I had a miscarriage. And it's my fault for not telling anyone. I'm sorry. I had no idea things would get this bad."

If Aimee wasn't enraged before, she was now. "How can you be so sure Eliot is the father? Surely you don't expect us to believe he's the only person you've ever slept with. How do you know it's not a mistake?"

"The only mistake I made was taking you back." Eliot thundered, cutting her off. "We did sleep together – after you broke up with me. I didn't think I was good enough for Parker, so I tried to make things work with you. I see now that was the wrong thing to do."

Aimee looked as if she'd been slapped in the face. That was the true mark of a hitter – making the person feel your punch without ever lifting a finger.

"And Bentley?" Eliot noted. "I have to thank you. You helped me realize what a mistake I was making. I know how much you love Aunt Parker, and I hope she'll make me as happy as she makes you."

"EXCUSE ME?! ELIOT SHANE SPENCER, are you actually going to take the advice of a FIVE YEAR OLD over your own WIFE?"

"SOON to be wife." Eliot corrected. "And that depends on how you treat my family and friends. Besides, Bentley has better sense than any one here. Don't blame him for something that isn't his fault."

"Dammit Eliot, he's just a stupid KID! He doesn't know a BLAME thing about what's going on."

"OH YES HE DOES!" Parker erupted, unable to contain herself anymore. "He picks up on EVERYTHING that goes on around him. He knows when you're being nice to him and when you're not. He knows when you're being honest and when you're lying. And most importantly, he knows Eliot better than anyone else here. Myself included."

"Aimee, if Bentley thinks Parker would make a better aunt than you, I'm not just going to ignore that." The hitter countered.

"So help me, Eliot, if you walk out on this wedding, I'll make damn sure you regret it."

"Like you could!" Parker snorted.

The words took both women by surprise. Parker hadn't meant to speak aloud, but she couldn't just sit back and let Aimee intimidate her and her family. Getting up out of her seat, she gave Bentley over to the care of Eliot. Once the little one was safe, Parker let the full weight of her feelings translate into her presence and appearance – countering Aimee's anger with her own.

"There's nothing you can do that my team can't do better. You have absolutely no leverage here. None! So back off! Or you'll be the one who regrets it." Parker advised.

That did it.

Aimee's fist went flying. Parker deflected and stepped to her left, taking the bride's arm with her as she twisted it behind her back.

Finally getting her comeuppance, Parker left Aimee with a parting blow – one that struck her brain rather than her body. "See that's the difference between you and me. If you really loved Eliot, you would do anything to make him happy. Including letting him marry the likes of you. But now, I'm the one that makes him happy. And you have nobody to blame but yourself."

* * *

 **Part Two – If You Leave**

"That's enough Parker. I think she gets the point." Eliot cautioned, watching as his ex-fiancee began to turn blue.

"You think?" The mischevious little thief asked, finally letting Aimee go before she literally cried uncle.

Bentley was watching with wide eyes. "Unca Eliot – Aunt Parker beat up the bridezilla!"

"So she did." Eliot chuckled, holding him close while Parker kept herself between them. "I'll have to get her to teach you that trick too."

Aimee, however wasn't amused. Having had more than enough humiliation, she turned tail and ran back towards the bridal tent. Her (slightly more than) half of the wedding party followed suit, leaving the venue to gossip about what had happened in the safety of their own homes.

Parker watched Aimee run the opposite way down the aisle before turning back around to meet Bentley. The boy ran to her, this time successfully knocking her down. "You saved my unca!" He cried.

"Of course I did. And I'd do it again too. For the both of you." She smiled, ruffling the kid's hair.

"Are you gonna protect me from the other bridezillas too?"

Stealing a glance at Eliot, Parker was again speechless. _Could she handle it if Eliot found another girlfriend?_

Sensing her distress, Eliot intervened. "There won't be any more bridezillas Bentley. That is, is if Parker here says yes."

"To what?" the thief in question asked, dumbfounded.

"To marrying me. Or not marrying me. Just so long as you stay."

"I don't know if I'm ready to…."

"Oh bollocks!" Archie interjected. "You were ready the minute you set foot back in Portland. Eliot, you aren't the only one who couldn't let go of your consort. Parker, here, stayed up all hours of the night. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't eat. And she managed to keep tabs on you through contacts you knew nothing about. This woman spied on you every chance she got. I finally made her decide to either come back or let go of you all for good. And, regardless of how you've behaved, I believe she made the right decision. So please. Ask her again."

"Parker?" Eliot asked, voice shaking slightly. "Are you ever gonna leave me again?"

There were no tears this time. Parker found her eyes were dry and her voice was steady as she made her promise. "No."

"Then prove it."

"How?" The thief tried to speak, but couldn't as the hitter's lips closed over her own. His warm mouth probed hers in an unspoken question of commitment. Their tongues saying what words could not. It was a full minute and a half before he finally let her breathe again.

With a knowing grin, Parker pulled back and nodded at him - holding up her hand for Eliot (and everyone else) to see what was rightfully hers. Sitting there on her ring finger was a beautiful five-carat diamond encrusted ring with sapphires glittering around the edges. "I thought you'd never ask." She beamed.

Realizing what Parker had done, Eliot laughed until he was as blue as Aimee had been. Never had he expected to get his engagement ring back, but Parker had done the impossible yet again. "That's my girl!" He whooped, taking her in his arms and hugging the hell out of her.

"What's so funny?" Bentley asked innocently. Not one to be forgotten, he pulled at his uncle's leg for attention.

Eliot scooped the boy up and whispered in his ear. "Auntie Parker made the bridezilla's ring disappear and then reappear on her own finger. I think she really does know magic."

"Can I learn it?" The little one begged.

Eliot stole a fearful glance at his sister. "Maybe when you're older." He whispered. "Just don't tell your mama."

* * *

 **Part Three – You Have Stolen My Heart**

Watching the display before them unfold, the family of con artists shared a collective sigh. Hardison's mouth hung open. Sophie couldn't stop crying. Tara was getting rid of the guests. And Nate stood drumming his fingers on the wooden altar, wondering when he would finally be able to officiate the ceremony.

Tara had narrowed the crowd down to Eliot's immediate family and the Leverage crew. Still, there was the small matter of appeasing Eliot's father – who was a bit upset at having lost a favorable daughter in law to a common thief. As far as the hitter was concerned, his dad could either accept things as they were or walk. Of course, after seeing what Parker had done for Bentley, his sister was instrumental in bringing everyone on board. In the end, Eliot's mother still gave him away, while his father looked on in gloomy silence.

As for Parker, she was busy appeasing an over emotional Sophie. As soon as the Brit was able to pull herself together, she grabbed Parker and stuffed her into the wedding dress she had waiting. As maid of honor, she had planned the perfect wedding, taking pages from Parker's book as they had shopped together before the big day.

Parker now had the "perfect dress" (a.k.a. the most expensive thing Sophie could put on Aimee's credit card); the perfect cake (a combination of cereal and chocolate); and the perfect flowers (an array of venus fly traps set in place of the orchids). Sophie even allowed Parker to wear her converse sneakers under her dress.

As the couple descended the aisle, preceded by Hardison and Tara, all eyes fell to Nate, whose chest swelled with pride as he welcomed everyone who was left. As much as he hated to admit it, Aimee could have been the breaking point for his team, and he couldn't let that happen without a fight. It had taken him years to create his own family, having been conned out of one by his own father long ago – so to see it come together was almost more than he could take.

Archie seemed to sense a feeling of belonging too. He was still a bit wary of this Eliot fellow, but Nate had been able to convince him that he was the only one who could make Parker (and the rest of the team) happy. Besides, if Eliot's father could be gracious, so could he. Regardless of what anyone else thought about the two of them, Archie knew that Parker needed someone on her level and in her line of work – someone who could deal with her quirks without judgment. Moreover, so did Eliot.

As the couple exchanged vows, no one said a word. Not even Bentley.

Eliot promised to preserve and protect Parker as his wife and partner; while Parker promised to stay by his side, and remain honest and loyal (both on and off the team).

In the end, everything worked out as it should. The Leverage team was now a real family (a family of thieves, but a family nonetheless). They had found a renewed sense of commitment both to each other, and to their respective love interests. Eliot was happy. Parker felt like she belonged. And the others were as content as they'd ever been before.

Nate could only smile as he presented the bride and groom to the wedding party. "I now pronounce you, hitter and thief. Eliot, you may steal a kiss from the bride."

Applause erupted as Eliot did just that.

FINIS


End file.
